June 4, 2025 • 27 mins
Sam speaks to Kris Rallah-Baker, Australia's first Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander ophthalmologist based on the Sunshine Coast, who has also done work with the Deadly Vision Clinic in Darwin as well as clinical community outreach in remote communities of the Northern Territory.
He is part of a new series on SBS and NITV called Our Medicine, which follows the stories of First Nations medical professionals and patients as they navigate the Australian medical system, and the challenges and achievements that come with that.
After we hear from Kris, Liz is back on the show with the latest news from For Your Information, and Frances joins the show with a Reader Recommended.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
S1 (00:13):
From Vision Australia. This is talking vision. And now here's
your host Sam Colley.
S2 (00:23):
Hello, everyone. It's great to be here with you. And
for the next half hour we talk matters of blindness
and low vision.
S3 (00:30):
The work itself, of course. It's just the most wonderful
work to be able to go and help people out
and give them the gift of vision. But then to
know that we were able to let other people know
what we're doing and share that storytelling with them was
such a fantastic thing.
S2 (00:43):
Welcome to the program. This week we chat with Associate
Professor Chris Roller Baker, a First Nations ophthalmologist working out
of the Sunshine Coast. But he's also been involved with
the six part series Our Medicine, airing on SBS and NITV.
(01:05):
That interview is coming up very shortly, so make sure
to stick around to hear more. And then after we
hear from Chris. It's my great pleasure to welcome back
Liz Dalakouras, the editor of Foya information, otherwise known as FYI.
And then Frances Caitlin joins us for a reader recommended.
(01:27):
I hope you enjoy this week's episode of Talking Vision.
Our medicine is a six part documentary series taking viewers
behind the front line of Australia's strained medical system. Following
First Nations medical professionals, along with traditional healers working to
(01:49):
achieve better health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
patients and communities. With life expectancy for First Nations peoples
in Australia approximately eight years lower than that of non-Indigenous Australians.
Our medicine tackles this difficult but critically important subject with
(02:09):
humour and honesty. One of the leading medical professionals featured
in the series is Associate Professor Chris Weller Baker, a
proud Yuggera and Bourguiba man and Australia's first and only
First Nations ophthalmologist. Director of Sunshine Coast Ophthalmologists, one of
(02:30):
the founding members of the Australian Indigenous Doctors Association, as
well as working with Sean Dattapada at the Deadly Vision
Clinic in Darwin and working across the Top End in
community outreach to remote communities. To speak with me about
this and a whole lot more. I'm very pleased to
(02:52):
be joined by Chris right now. Chris, welcome to Talking Vision.
Thank you very much for your time today.
S3 (02:59):
Thanks so much for having me on.
S2 (03:00):
What I'd love to do is give you an opportunity
to introduce yourself to our listeners. Tell us a bit
about yourself and what you do.
S3 (03:10):
So my name is Chris Baker, of course, and I'm
Australia's currently first and only indigenous ophthalmologist. My background is
Jagera and Waranga, a mum's side and Rajouri on dad's side,
and my private rooms are up on the Sunshine Coast
in Queensland. And I do outreach work to Darwin with
(03:32):
the Deadly Vision Clinic.
S2 (03:33):
Tell us a bit about your work in ophthalmology, Chris.
S3 (03:37):
My rooms are on the Sunshine Coast and Noosa, and
it's a general ophthalmology practice, which means a lot of
my work is around diagnoses like glaucoma, diabetes management with
the associated eye conditions, surgical conditions like pterygium and cataracts.
And then when I got to Darwin and worked with
(04:00):
Sean and his Deadly Vision clinic, that's mostly to do
with surgical work. So Cataract and Pterygium work with these
patients who are struggling otherwise to have that done.
S2 (04:10):
So tell us a bit more about that deadly vision
clinic and how that all came about, and the work
you've been able to do in various First Nations communities
around Australia.
S3 (04:22):
Well, the Deadly Vision Clinic was started and is run
by Sean Tarapada, who I was fortunate enough to meet
back in 2014 when I was working in Darwin for
six months as a part of my training, and it's
the country's first indigenous run optometry clinic. And so Sean
has visiting optometrists who come in, and he has a
(04:45):
series of indigenous themed frames that patients can purchase, and
they also cut the lenses on sight. So, I mean,
Sean obviously knows a lot more about what the clinic does.
So I wouldn't wouldn't want to speak for him, but
that's the gist of what he's doing. He's bringing in
people who are otherwise lost to the system, or uncomfortable
with mainstream systems, and provide them a good quality optometry
(05:07):
service in that culturally safe space. And then in terms
of outreach that I've done otherwise, as I said, I
was up in the Top End in 2014 for six months.
So I worked right across the top end of Northern Territory.
I'd done a lot of work with my colleague Tim
Henderson in Alice Springs. I haven't been out there for
a couple of years now. Covid disrupted everything. But I've
(05:29):
worked in Alice in Central Australia, and then I had
the privilege of also working with my colleague Angus Turner
right across Western Australia. I did that for six months
as well. So I've seen a lot of the country.
I've seen a lot of our indigenous communities. It's a
real privilege to have been able to have done that.
S2 (05:46):
And as I understand it, Chris, you've also been one
of the founding members of the Australian an indigenous doctors association.
Tell us a bit about the story there.
S3 (05:58):
That was back in the late 90s. I was a
medical student and I was at the University of Newcastle
at that time in the late 90s. We had very,
very few indigenous doctors and very few indigenous medical students
in the country. And the concept of having Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander doctors was still a very, very new
thing here in Australia, which sounds crazy, but it was.
(06:21):
Most of us were either attending the University of Newcastle's
medical students or who had completed medical degrees at University Newcastle.
There were a couple of other units that had contributed
to to that small group of people, but most of
us came through Newcastle, and so the indigenous support unit
at that university arranged a meeting of us. And there
about 50 people at the meeting, I think half of
(06:42):
us were medical students and doctors, and the other half
were international colleagues. And we decided to form an organisation
to support each other. That was the primary focus. But
then in the longer term to build that workforce. And
that organization then went on to become Australian Indigenous Doctors Association,
of which I was years later, president of. So it's
(07:02):
been a fascinating process watching that organization grow. I think
now in Australia, I don't know what the latest numbers
are exactly, but I understand we have over 800 Aboriginal
or Torres Strait Islander medical doctors, qualified doctors. And a
big number of medical students in the system, we still
are away from population parity of Western trained doctors, but
in a relatively short period of time we've done very well.
(07:24):
It's an outstanding achievement.
S2 (07:26):
Certainly sounds like one. And um, regarding some, you know,
achievements or highlights or anything of that nature, what's been
some real highlights and real take away moments that will
stick with you forever in your time over the past? Well,
2 or 3 decades now.
S3 (07:45):
Well, watching Aida grow, which is Australian Indigenous Doctors Grow,
has been a real highlight in being president of. That
was a highlight and my presidency actually extended through the
beginning of Covid, so that was a crazy time. Of course,
the other highlights were my professional career highlights finishing medical
school and then completing my training with the Royal Australia
and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists. And the other highlight
(08:09):
is actually a much, much more recent highlight. And that
was being a part of the movement and then founding
board of the First Nations e-Health Alliance. And I'm actually
in Perth at the moment at our annual conference. That's
been a huge highlight because that's pulling together the AI
related workforce, indigenous and non-Indigenous, who work in indigenous eHealth.
(08:29):
And we're looking at progressing, closing the gap in indigenous
eye health.
S2 (08:33):
One program, which were very keen to have a chat
about which tackles those sorts of issues, is, of course,
Our Medicine, which is premiering on SBS and Nytv. It's
running over six weeks, as I understand it, which you've
been quite heavily involved with. So tell us a bit
about our medicine approaches.
S3 (08:54):
It was a while ago now because like a lot
of television related events, there's a huge amount of work
that goes into creating a series like Our Medicine. But
I was approached a little while ago now and asked
if I would like to be a part of our medicine,
and I said, yes, absolutely. This is a really important
story to tell. A story highlighting indigenous academic excellence and
(09:15):
also the achievements of what our mob have done in
Western medicine. And up until now, it's not a story
that's been really told in the mainstream at this level.
So I had the great privilege, as I said, of
being invited into this, and we filmed the first series.
I thought, well, there's more to what I do than
(09:36):
my private practice on the Sunshine Coast. And there's more
to what I do than just, you know, Chris Baker.
So I also felt that it was important to involve
the Deadly Vision Clinic in Darwin and the work that
I do up there with Sean. So I called Sean
and said, hey, do you want to be a part
of this? And I was super excited when he agreed.
So the series goes on that journey. You're watching people
(09:59):
surgical pathways as they come in from the communities around Darwin,
and they engage with a culturally safe service and, and
then achieve successful surgical outcomes. It was such a wonderful
thing to be a part of and a lot of fun.
The work itself, of course, it's just the most wonderful
work to be able to go and, you know, help
people out and give them the gift of vision. But
(10:21):
then to know that we were able to let other
people know what we're doing and share that storytelling with
them was such a fantastic thing.
S2 (10:27):
And Chris, what's it been like to be able to
highlight the day to day challenges that First Nations medical
professionals and patients face when navigating the Australian medical system
in a show like our medicine?
S3 (10:43):
I'd like to think What it illustrates is some of
the complexities that Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people face
when they enter our health systems, and those complexities can
range from logistical issues like getting up to the hospital
and how to arrange transport, and how to coordinate family
when an individual has to get up to the hospital for,
you know, half a day for a half an hour
(11:03):
appointment all the way along to the environment of those
facilities and issues around cultural safety and blockades, to episodes
of care, like people not feeling safe in that space
or even having experience of direct racism. Some of the
patients who have delivered care to, through the deadly vision
described and have described episodes of blatant racism and and
(11:27):
I think for anybody, that would be a reason for
them not to want to return to that space. So
there's a lot of barriers that slow down or outright
prevent Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people from entering health
facilities and accessing the care that they need.
S2 (11:42):
What do you believe or what do you hope that
the program can shed light on and perhaps change attitudes,
or greater inform the general public about the sort of
things that First Nations people face on an everyday basis?
What's the sort of big things that you're really hoping
to see come out of this?
S3 (12:04):
Firstly, I want to see people enjoy the series Aboriginal,
Torres Strait Islander cultures, the storytelling cultures. And first and foremost,
I want people just to enjoy the narrative and enjoy
the story. And although there are some very, very serious
moments through there, there are some very, very funny moments.
So I want people to be entertained. But what I
want them to take away beyond the entertainment, is an
(12:25):
understanding of what indigenous people face in this country when
they are accessing services through healthcare systems. And I also
want people to understand that we have incredible Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander people in the system working hard, delivering
these services with genuine thought and genuine care, and we're
often supported by incredible non-Indigenous colleagues, and it can be
(12:48):
very easy to be drawn down a negative narrative in
the indigenous health space. But I want people to take
away that there are lots of good things happening. There
are lots of positives, and I think in the longer term,
we have a bright future and something to look forward
to with regard to improving our health stats, but also
doing it in a way that respects and treasures indigenous
(13:09):
cultures in this country.
S2 (13:11):
I've been speaking today with Associate Professor Chris Rohrbacher, ophthalmologist
and community outreach specialist, including but certainly not limited to,
his work with the Deadly Eye Clinic in Darwin, also
part of the six part Our Medicine series on SBS
(13:34):
and NITV. Chris, thank you so much for your time today.
It was a pleasure to catch up with you and
chat about all your work and your involvement with our medicine.
S3 (13:45):
Thanks so much for having me on.
S2 (13:52):
I'm Sam Kelly and you're listening to Talking Vision on
Vision Australia Radio, Associated Stations of Reading Radio and the
Community Radio Network. I hope you enjoyed that conversation there
with Associate Professor Chris Baker. If you missed any part
of that conversation with Chris or you'd love to hear
(14:13):
it again. Talking vision is available on the Vision Australia
Radio website. Simply head to radio Dot. That's Vo radio Dot,
or you can find the program on the podcast app
of your choice or through the Vision Australia library. Well,
winter is finally upon us, but worry not, we've got
(14:36):
some red hot news to warm you all up out
there with our resident editor of for your Information, otherwise
known as FYI, Liz Dalakouras to tell us all about
Vision Australia's fortnightly newsletter for the month and what people
can expect in the latest issue. So without further ado,
(14:58):
it's my great pleasure to be joined by Liz right now. Liz,
welcome back to Talking Vision. Great to have you again.
S4 (15:06):
It's great to be back, Sam. Thanks for having me.
S2 (15:08):
Now Liz was quite a few exciting bits of news
for people out there in this month's issue of FYI.
Let's start off with some government news. The new Minister
for the NDIS.
S4 (15:22):
Yes. So we've hit a new chapter for the NDIS
and Australia's new minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme,
Jenny McAllister. She's hit the ground running as she stepped
into her new role. She's doing her research and she's
diving into reports from the NDIS review and the Disability
Royal Commission. And she's actually talking to people who rely
on or work with the NDIS. She's really focused on
(15:44):
the people, so it's very exciting. This is an exciting
new chapter.
S2 (15:48):
Certainly. And in related news, there's quite a bit of
advocacy news that's been coming out lately.
S4 (15:56):
Yeah there is. So in this latest edition, we were
talking with what we believe is quite a catchy headline.
What if the footpath disappeared beneath your feet? So what
they're doing in some states is they're modernising urban street design,
and it's turning just a simple walk into a dangerous
guessing game. So they are levelling the roads with footpaths.
(16:17):
It's making it harder and harder to know when you're
standing in the middle of the road. What if you
just stop to answer your phone thinking you're safe on
the footpath, but you're not?
S2 (16:26):
Exactly.
S4 (16:26):
We've written an article just to help raise awareness around that.
S2 (16:29):
Because, you know, I've have talked to a few people
from around the country who have got their seeing eye dog.
And it even confuses these really, you know, as we know,
fantastically well trained dogs, trained in every situation. Then all
of a sudden there's something completely new and, you know,
they're both in danger and it's not a good situation
(16:49):
at all. So definitely something worth highlighting for sure. But
what is also worth highlighting, Liz, is some changes to
the NDIS and making sense of all of that upheaval
and a lot of confusion, but also quite a few
articles out there to cut through and really help people
understand what's going on.
S4 (17:11):
Yeah, absolutely. You used the perfect word, Sam, the upheaval,
because so much is happening and so much is changing
and things are changing and changing back and then changing again.
It's hard to know exactly what's going on. And that's
why we decided through FYI, to create a series of
articles that will help explain what's happening to you guys?
(17:32):
So in the last edition, we let you know that
we were going to build this series of resources, and
now we've kicked it all off with helping you to
understand the updates that you might already be seeing in
your plan. So you can visit our website to read that.
S2 (17:46):
And Liz says an exciting new life hack to tell
us about.
S4 (17:50):
Yeah, absolutely. There is. It is so annoying when you
trip over rugs in your own house. So we have
a hack to stop you from tripping when you're just
going from the couch to the kitchen to your bedroom.
All you need to do is put a strip of
tape underneath the corner of your rugs. Nail that thing
down to the ground. No more trips. That's our latest
(18:12):
life hack. It's super cool.
S2 (18:13):
That's super cool. That's fantastic. I think I might have
to give that a go. I'm tripping on rugs here
and there, so I think that's a helpful tip for
people with all levels of vision. I think that is
a universal experience. So yeah, great to get those little
life hacks like that. Now finally, Liz, there's some audio
description news to tell us about.
S4 (18:35):
Yeah there is. It's super exciting to say that in
New South Wales, the half life of Marie Curie is
coming with the help of audio description. A brief overview
of that story is what happens when you have two
Nobel Prizes, and they can't even shield you from a scandal.
It's a powerful play. It's presented with audio description, it's
inclusive for everybody, and it's going to be great. 5th
(18:58):
of July down in Kirribilli in New South Wales.
S2 (19:01):
Perfect. Well, everyone can find all of that and more
on the latest issue of FYI, which they can of
course sign up to by heading to the Vision Australia website,
Vision Australia dot. That's Vision Australia dot and searching for
your information to get themselves onto the mailing list. Liz,
(19:24):
thanks so much for your time today. Great to catch
up with you as always and have a chat about FYI.
S4 (19:30):
Thank you Sam. It's always so much fun coming on
and chatting with you.
S2 (19:36):
Did you know that Vision Australia Radio relies heavily on
the generosity of volunteers and donors to stay on the air?
In fact, even though Vision Australia Radio is supported by
more than 600 wonderful volunteers, we still incur annual expenses
exceeding $2.2 million. Broadcasting is an expensive business, but to
(20:00):
our community it's also a vital one. Vision Australia Radio
has been around in some form since the 1970s, and
in that time has supported countless Australians who are blind
or have low vision or print disabled to stay connected
and informed. World Vision Australia Radio to cease to exist.
(20:21):
Hundreds of thousands of people would be left without easy
access to the essential news and information that sighted individuals
can take for granted. Crucially, the loss of such a
trusted source of information would cause even further exclusion for
those in our community with low vision, blindness or a
(20:42):
print disability. By supporting Vision Australia Radio this end of
financial year, you will help to ensure that individuals with
print disabilities continue to have equal access to news, information
and entertainment all within a safe and inclusive community. Donations
(21:03):
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us stay sustainable, independent and accessible to those who need us.
To donate, simply head to the Vision Australia Radio website
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(21:28):
links on the front page. And in some other news,
the vision store has recently begun selling the Ray-Ban Meta
Wayfarer glasses, and although they're currently out of stock, a
new shipment is very shortly on the way, and we'll
be hearing from a couple of people from the shop
(21:50):
in coming weeks to tell us a little bit more
about the glasses. But in the meantime, for people interested
in hearing more about them, the Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer eyeglasses
offer a hands free experience with integrated listening, calling, photo
and video capture, and live streaming. This AI enhanced wearable
(22:14):
tech can assist individuals who are blind or have low
vision by providing voice activated About a communication and information
access with their smartphones in a stylish, everyday design. In
terms of their features, they feature built in speakers and microphone,
touchpad control, voice command capability, Bluetooth connectivity, battery life and
(22:41):
transition lenses. And they benefit from smart integration, voice control,
and a stylish and comfortable design. The glasses are available
in various sizes, small and large, and you can also
receive them in a range of colors. And now here's
(23:08):
Francis Kalen with a reader recommended.
S5 (23:10):
Thank you Sam. It has been 60 years since Mary
Poppins first hit our cinemas. So I thought it'd be
good to have a sample of Julie Andrews book home,
her memoir. Over the years, Julie Andrews has been much
interviewed in the press and on television, but she has
never before revealed the true story of her childhood and upbringing.
(23:30):
In home, she vividly recreates the years before the movies.
An idyllic early childhood in Surrey was cut short when
her parents divorced and her mother remarried. The family moved
to London and there are vivid scenes of life during
the Blitz. Her mother went into musical theatre with her stepfather,
who encouraged Julie to have singing lessons, which led to
(23:50):
the discovery that her voice had phenomenal range and strength
for someone her age. Before long, she was appearing on
stage with her parents. She soon realised how much she
enjoyed looking out into the black auditorium with the spotlights
on her. By the time she was a teenager, she
was supporting her whole family with her singing. A London
Palladium pantomime led to a leading role in The Boyfriend
(24:13):
on Broadway at 19 parts in My Fair Lady, opposite
Rex Harrison and Camelot with Richard Burton soon followed, and
there are wonderful anecdotes about the actors and actresses of
her day. But this is far more than a collection
of show stories. Home is an honest, touching and revealing
memoir of the early life of a true icon. Let's
(24:33):
hear a sample of Home by Julie Andrews, narrated by
Julie Andrews.
S6 (24:39):
I am told that the first comprehensible word I uttered
as a child was home. My father was driving his
second hand. Austin seven. My mother was in the passenger
seat beside him, holding me on her lap as we
approached our modest house. Dad braked the car to turn
on to the pocket handkerchief square of concrete by the gate,
(25:01):
and apparently I quietly, tentatively said the word home. My
mother told me there was a slight upward inflection in
my voice. Not a question so much as a trying
of the word on the tongue with perhaps the delicious
discovery of connection, the word to the place. My parents
(25:22):
wanted to be sure they had heard me correctly. So
dad drove around the lanes once again, and as we returned,
it seems I repeated the word. My mother must have
said it more than once upon arrival at our house,
perhaps with satisfaction or relief, or maybe to instill in
her young daughter a sense of comfort and safety. The
(25:44):
word has carried enormous resonance for me ever since. Home.
S5 (25:50):
So that was home by Julie Andrews. If you would
like to borrow that book, or if you would like
to find out more about Vision Australia Library, just give
them a call on 130654656. That's 1300Â 654Â 656. Or you can
email library at Australia. Org that's library at Vision Australia.
S2 (26:14):
And that's all the time we have for today. You've
been listening to Talking Vision. Talking vision is a Vision
Australia radio production. Thanks to all involved with putting the
show together every week. And remember, we love hearing from you.
So please get in touch anytime on our email at
Talking Vision at Vision Australia. That's talking vision all. One
(26:39):
word at Vision Australia. But until next week it's Sam
Culley saying bye for now.
S1 (26:49):
You can contact Vision Australia by phoning us anytime during
business hours on one 384 746. That's one 384 74
six or by visiting Vision Australia. That's Vision Australia.
From Vision Australia. This is talking vision. And now here's
your host Sam Colley.
S2 (00:23):
Hello, everyone. It's great to be here with you. And
for the next half hour we talk matters of blindness
and low vision.
S3 (00:30):
The work itself, of course. It's just the most wonderful
work to be able to go and help people out
and give them the gift of vision. But then to
know that we were able to let other people know
what we're doing and share that storytelling with them was
such a fantastic thing.
S2 (00:43):
Welcome to the program. This week we chat with Associate
Professor Chris Roller Baker, a First Nations ophthalmologist working out
of the Sunshine Coast. But he's also been involved with
the six part series Our Medicine, airing on SBS and NITV.
(01:05):
That interview is coming up very shortly, so make sure
to stick around to hear more. And then after we
hear from Chris. It's my great pleasure to welcome back
Liz Dalakouras, the editor of Foya information, otherwise known as FYI.
And then Frances Caitlin joins us for a reader recommended.
(01:27):
I hope you enjoy this week's episode of Talking Vision.
Our medicine is a six part documentary series taking viewers
behind the front line of Australia's strained medical system. Following
First Nations medical professionals, along with traditional healers working to
(01:49):
achieve better health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
patients and communities. With life expectancy for First Nations peoples
in Australia approximately eight years lower than that of non-Indigenous Australians.
Our medicine tackles this difficult but critically important subject with
(02:09):
humour and honesty. One of the leading medical professionals featured
in the series is Associate Professor Chris Weller Baker, a
proud Yuggera and Bourguiba man and Australia's first and only
First Nations ophthalmologist. Director of Sunshine Coast Ophthalmologists, one of
(02:30):
the founding members of the Australian Indigenous Doctors Association, as
well as working with Sean Dattapada at the Deadly Vision
Clinic in Darwin and working across the Top End in
community outreach to remote communities. To speak with me about
this and a whole lot more. I'm very pleased to
(02:52):
be joined by Chris right now. Chris, welcome to Talking Vision.
Thank you very much for your time today.
S3 (02:59):
Thanks so much for having me on.
S2 (03:00):
What I'd love to do is give you an opportunity
to introduce yourself to our listeners. Tell us a bit
about yourself and what you do.
S3 (03:10):
So my name is Chris Baker, of course, and I'm
Australia's currently first and only indigenous ophthalmologist. My background is
Jagera and Waranga, a mum's side and Rajouri on dad's side,
and my private rooms are up on the Sunshine Coast
in Queensland. And I do outreach work to Darwin with
(03:32):
the Deadly Vision Clinic.
S2 (03:33):
Tell us a bit about your work in ophthalmology, Chris.
S3 (03:37):
My rooms are on the Sunshine Coast and Noosa, and
it's a general ophthalmology practice, which means a lot of
my work is around diagnoses like glaucoma, diabetes management with
the associated eye conditions, surgical conditions like pterygium and cataracts.
And then when I got to Darwin and worked with
(04:00):
Sean and his Deadly Vision clinic, that's mostly to do
with surgical work. So Cataract and Pterygium work with these
patients who are struggling otherwise to have that done.
S2 (04:10):
So tell us a bit more about that deadly vision
clinic and how that all came about, and the work
you've been able to do in various First Nations communities
around Australia.
S3 (04:22):
Well, the Deadly Vision Clinic was started and is run
by Sean Tarapada, who I was fortunate enough to meet
back in 2014 when I was working in Darwin for
six months as a part of my training, and it's
the country's first indigenous run optometry clinic. And so Sean
has visiting optometrists who come in, and he has a
(04:45):
series of indigenous themed frames that patients can purchase, and
they also cut the lenses on sight. So, I mean,
Sean obviously knows a lot more about what the clinic does.
So I wouldn't wouldn't want to speak for him, but
that's the gist of what he's doing. He's bringing in
people who are otherwise lost to the system, or uncomfortable
with mainstream systems, and provide them a good quality optometry
(05:07):
service in that culturally safe space. And then in terms
of outreach that I've done otherwise, as I said, I
was up in the Top End in 2014 for six months.
So I worked right across the top end of Northern Territory.
I'd done a lot of work with my colleague Tim
Henderson in Alice Springs. I haven't been out there for
a couple of years now. Covid disrupted everything. But I've
(05:29):
worked in Alice in Central Australia, and then I had
the privilege of also working with my colleague Angus Turner
right across Western Australia. I did that for six months
as well. So I've seen a lot of the country.
I've seen a lot of our indigenous communities. It's a
real privilege to have been able to have done that.
S2 (05:46):
And as I understand it, Chris, you've also been one
of the founding members of the Australian an indigenous doctors association.
Tell us a bit about the story there.
S3 (05:58):
That was back in the late 90s. I was a
medical student and I was at the University of Newcastle
at that time in the late 90s. We had very,
very few indigenous doctors and very few indigenous medical students
in the country. And the concept of having Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander doctors was still a very, very new
thing here in Australia, which sounds crazy, but it was.
(06:21):
Most of us were either attending the University of Newcastle's
medical students or who had completed medical degrees at University Newcastle.
There were a couple of other units that had contributed
to to that small group of people, but most of
us came through Newcastle, and so the indigenous support unit
at that university arranged a meeting of us. And there
about 50 people at the meeting, I think half of
(06:42):
us were medical students and doctors, and the other half
were international colleagues. And we decided to form an organisation
to support each other. That was the primary focus. But
then in the longer term to build that workforce. And
that organization then went on to become Australian Indigenous Doctors Association,
of which I was years later, president of. So it's
(07:02):
been a fascinating process watching that organization grow. I think
now in Australia, I don't know what the latest numbers
are exactly, but I understand we have over 800 Aboriginal
or Torres Strait Islander medical doctors, qualified doctors. And a
big number of medical students in the system, we still
are away from population parity of Western trained doctors, but
in a relatively short period of time we've done very well.
(07:24):
It's an outstanding achievement.
S2 (07:26):
Certainly sounds like one. And um, regarding some, you know,
achievements or highlights or anything of that nature, what's been
some real highlights and real take away moments that will
stick with you forever in your time over the past? Well,
2 or 3 decades now.
S3 (07:45):
Well, watching Aida grow, which is Australian Indigenous Doctors Grow,
has been a real highlight in being president of. That
was a highlight and my presidency actually extended through the
beginning of Covid, so that was a crazy time. Of course,
the other highlights were my professional career highlights finishing medical
school and then completing my training with the Royal Australia
and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists. And the other highlight
(08:09):
is actually a much, much more recent highlight. And that
was being a part of the movement and then founding
board of the First Nations e-Health Alliance. And I'm actually
in Perth at the moment at our annual conference. That's
been a huge highlight because that's pulling together the AI
related workforce, indigenous and non-Indigenous, who work in indigenous eHealth.
(08:29):
And we're looking at progressing, closing the gap in indigenous
eye health.
S2 (08:33):
One program, which were very keen to have a chat
about which tackles those sorts of issues, is, of course,
Our Medicine, which is premiering on SBS and Nytv. It's
running over six weeks, as I understand it, which you've
been quite heavily involved with. So tell us a bit
about our medicine approaches.
S3 (08:54):
It was a while ago now because like a lot
of television related events, there's a huge amount of work
that goes into creating a series like Our Medicine. But
I was approached a little while ago now and asked
if I would like to be a part of our medicine,
and I said, yes, absolutely. This is a really important
story to tell. A story highlighting indigenous academic excellence and
(09:15):
also the achievements of what our mob have done in
Western medicine. And up until now, it's not a story
that's been really told in the mainstream at this level.
So I had the great privilege, as I said, of
being invited into this, and we filmed the first series.
I thought, well, there's more to what I do than
(09:36):
my private practice on the Sunshine Coast. And there's more
to what I do than just, you know, Chris Baker.
So I also felt that it was important to involve
the Deadly Vision Clinic in Darwin and the work that
I do up there with Sean. So I called Sean
and said, hey, do you want to be a part
of this? And I was super excited when he agreed.
So the series goes on that journey. You're watching people
(09:59):
surgical pathways as they come in from the communities around Darwin,
and they engage with a culturally safe service and, and
then achieve successful surgical outcomes. It was such a wonderful
thing to be a part of and a lot of fun.
The work itself, of course, it's just the most wonderful
work to be able to go and, you know, help
people out and give them the gift of vision. But
(10:21):
then to know that we were able to let other
people know what we're doing and share that storytelling with
them was such a fantastic thing.
S2 (10:27):
And Chris, what's it been like to be able to
highlight the day to day challenges that First Nations medical
professionals and patients face when navigating the Australian medical system
in a show like our medicine?
S3 (10:43):
I'd like to think What it illustrates is some of
the complexities that Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people face
when they enter our health systems, and those complexities can
range from logistical issues like getting up to the hospital
and how to arrange transport, and how to coordinate family
when an individual has to get up to the hospital for,
you know, half a day for a half an hour
(11:03):
appointment all the way along to the environment of those
facilities and issues around cultural safety and blockades, to episodes
of care, like people not feeling safe in that space
or even having experience of direct racism. Some of the
patients who have delivered care to, through the deadly vision
described and have described episodes of blatant racism and and
(11:27):
I think for anybody, that would be a reason for
them not to want to return to that space. So
there's a lot of barriers that slow down or outright
prevent Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people from entering health
facilities and accessing the care that they need.
S2 (11:42):
What do you believe or what do you hope that
the program can shed light on and perhaps change attitudes,
or greater inform the general public about the sort of
things that First Nations people face on an everyday basis?
What's the sort of big things that you're really hoping
to see come out of this?
S3 (12:04):
Firstly, I want to see people enjoy the series Aboriginal,
Torres Strait Islander cultures, the storytelling cultures. And first and foremost,
I want people just to enjoy the narrative and enjoy
the story. And although there are some very, very serious
moments through there, there are some very, very funny moments.
So I want people to be entertained. But what I
want them to take away beyond the entertainment, is an
(12:25):
understanding of what indigenous people face in this country when
they are accessing services through healthcare systems. And I also
want people to understand that we have incredible Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander people in the system working hard, delivering
these services with genuine thought and genuine care, and we're
often supported by incredible non-Indigenous colleagues, and it can be
(12:48):
very easy to be drawn down a negative narrative in
the indigenous health space. But I want people to take
away that there are lots of good things happening. There
are lots of positives, and I think in the longer term,
we have a bright future and something to look forward
to with regard to improving our health stats, but also
doing it in a way that respects and treasures indigenous
(13:09):
cultures in this country.
S2 (13:11):
I've been speaking today with Associate Professor Chris Rohrbacher, ophthalmologist
and community outreach specialist, including but certainly not limited to,
his work with the Deadly Eye Clinic in Darwin, also
part of the six part Our Medicine series on SBS
(13:34):
and NITV. Chris, thank you so much for your time today.
It was a pleasure to catch up with you and
chat about all your work and your involvement with our medicine.
S3 (13:45):
Thanks so much for having me on.
S2 (13:52):
I'm Sam Kelly and you're listening to Talking Vision on
Vision Australia Radio, Associated Stations of Reading Radio and the
Community Radio Network. I hope you enjoyed that conversation there
with Associate Professor Chris Baker. If you missed any part
of that conversation with Chris or you'd love to hear
(14:13):
it again. Talking vision is available on the Vision Australia
Radio website. Simply head to radio Dot. That's Vo radio Dot,
or you can find the program on the podcast app
of your choice or through the Vision Australia library. Well,
winter is finally upon us, but worry not, we've got
(14:36):
some red hot news to warm you all up out
there with our resident editor of for your Information, otherwise
known as FYI, Liz Dalakouras to tell us all about
Vision Australia's fortnightly newsletter for the month and what people
can expect in the latest issue. So without further ado,
(14:58):
it's my great pleasure to be joined by Liz right now. Liz,
welcome back to Talking Vision. Great to have you again.
S4 (15:06):
It's great to be back, Sam. Thanks for having me.
S2 (15:08):
Now Liz was quite a few exciting bits of news
for people out there in this month's issue of FYI.
Let's start off with some government news. The new Minister
for the NDIS.
S4 (15:22):
Yes. So we've hit a new chapter for the NDIS
and Australia's new minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme,
Jenny McAllister. She's hit the ground running as she stepped
into her new role. She's doing her research and she's
diving into reports from the NDIS review and the Disability
Royal Commission. And she's actually talking to people who rely
on or work with the NDIS. She's really focused on
(15:44):
the people, so it's very exciting. This is an exciting
new chapter.
S2 (15:48):
Certainly. And in related news, there's quite a bit of
advocacy news that's been coming out lately.
S4 (15:56):
Yeah there is. So in this latest edition, we were
talking with what we believe is quite a catchy headline.
What if the footpath disappeared beneath your feet? So what
they're doing in some states is they're modernising urban street design,
and it's turning just a simple walk into a dangerous
guessing game. So they are levelling the roads with footpaths.
(16:17):
It's making it harder and harder to know when you're
standing in the middle of the road. What if you
just stop to answer your phone thinking you're safe on
the footpath, but you're not?
S2 (16:26):
Exactly.
S4 (16:26):
We've written an article just to help raise awareness around that.
S2 (16:29):
Because, you know, I've have talked to a few people
from around the country who have got their seeing eye dog.
And it even confuses these really, you know, as we know,
fantastically well trained dogs, trained in every situation. Then all
of a sudden there's something completely new and, you know,
they're both in danger and it's not a good situation
(16:49):
at all. So definitely something worth highlighting for sure. But
what is also worth highlighting, Liz, is some changes to
the NDIS and making sense of all of that upheaval
and a lot of confusion, but also quite a few
articles out there to cut through and really help people
understand what's going on.
S4 (17:11):
Yeah, absolutely. You used the perfect word, Sam, the upheaval,
because so much is happening and so much is changing
and things are changing and changing back and then changing again.
It's hard to know exactly what's going on. And that's
why we decided through FYI, to create a series of
articles that will help explain what's happening to you guys?
(17:32):
So in the last edition, we let you know that
we were going to build this series of resources, and
now we've kicked it all off with helping you to
understand the updates that you might already be seeing in
your plan. So you can visit our website to read that.
S2 (17:46):
And Liz says an exciting new life hack to tell
us about.
S4 (17:50):
Yeah, absolutely. There is. It is so annoying when you
trip over rugs in your own house. So we have
a hack to stop you from tripping when you're just
going from the couch to the kitchen to your bedroom.
All you need to do is put a strip of
tape underneath the corner of your rugs. Nail that thing
down to the ground. No more trips. That's our latest
(18:12):
life hack. It's super cool.
S2 (18:13):
That's super cool. That's fantastic. I think I might have
to give that a go. I'm tripping on rugs here
and there, so I think that's a helpful tip for
people with all levels of vision. I think that is
a universal experience. So yeah, great to get those little
life hacks like that. Now finally, Liz, there's some audio
description news to tell us about.
S4 (18:35):
Yeah there is. It's super exciting to say that in
New South Wales, the half life of Marie Curie is
coming with the help of audio description. A brief overview
of that story is what happens when you have two
Nobel Prizes, and they can't even shield you from a scandal.
It's a powerful play. It's presented with audio description, it's
inclusive for everybody, and it's going to be great. 5th
(18:58):
of July down in Kirribilli in New South Wales.
S2 (19:01):
Perfect. Well, everyone can find all of that and more
on the latest issue of FYI, which they can of
course sign up to by heading to the Vision Australia website,
Vision Australia dot. That's Vision Australia dot and searching for
your information to get themselves onto the mailing list. Liz,
(19:24):
thanks so much for your time today. Great to catch
up with you as always and have a chat about FYI.
S4 (19:30):
Thank you Sam. It's always so much fun coming on
and chatting with you.
S2 (19:36):
Did you know that Vision Australia Radio relies heavily on
the generosity of volunteers and donors to stay on the air?
In fact, even though Vision Australia Radio is supported by
more than 600 wonderful volunteers, we still incur annual expenses
exceeding $2.2 million. Broadcasting is an expensive business, but to
(20:00):
our community it's also a vital one. Vision Australia Radio
has been around in some form since the 1970s, and
in that time has supported countless Australians who are blind
or have low vision or print disabled to stay connected
and informed. World Vision Australia Radio to cease to exist.
(20:21):
Hundreds of thousands of people would be left without easy
access to the essential news and information that sighted individuals
can take for granted. Crucially, the loss of such a
trusted source of information would cause even further exclusion for
those in our community with low vision, blindness or a
(20:42):
print disability. By supporting Vision Australia Radio this end of
financial year, you will help to ensure that individuals with
print disabilities continue to have equal access to news, information
and entertainment all within a safe and inclusive community. Donations
(21:03):
of $2 or more are tax deductible and can be
made securely online. Your contribution, no matter the size, helps
us stay sustainable, independent and accessible to those who need us.
To donate, simply head to the Vision Australia Radio website
at VA radio.org. That's VA radio dot and follow the
(21:28):
links on the front page. And in some other news,
the vision store has recently begun selling the Ray-Ban Meta
Wayfarer glasses, and although they're currently out of stock, a
new shipment is very shortly on the way, and we'll
be hearing from a couple of people from the shop
(21:50):
in coming weeks to tell us a little bit more
about the glasses. But in the meantime, for people interested
in hearing more about them, the Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer eyeglasses
offer a hands free experience with integrated listening, calling, photo
and video capture, and live streaming. This AI enhanced wearable
(22:14):
tech can assist individuals who are blind or have low
vision by providing voice activated About a communication and information
access with their smartphones in a stylish, everyday design. In
terms of their features, they feature built in speakers and microphone,
touchpad control, voice command capability, Bluetooth connectivity, battery life and
(22:41):
transition lenses. And they benefit from smart integration, voice control,
and a stylish and comfortable design. The glasses are available
in various sizes, small and large, and you can also
receive them in a range of colors. And now here's
(23:08):
Francis Kalen with a reader recommended.
S5 (23:10):
Thank you Sam. It has been 60 years since Mary
Poppins first hit our cinemas. So I thought it'd be
good to have a sample of Julie Andrews book home,
her memoir. Over the years, Julie Andrews has been much
interviewed in the press and on television, but she has
never before revealed the true story of her childhood and upbringing.
(23:30):
In home, she vividly recreates the years before the movies.
An idyllic early childhood in Surrey was cut short when
her parents divorced and her mother remarried. The family moved
to London and there are vivid scenes of life during
the Blitz. Her mother went into musical theatre with her stepfather,
who encouraged Julie to have singing lessons, which led to
(23:50):
the discovery that her voice had phenomenal range and strength
for someone her age. Before long, she was appearing on
stage with her parents. She soon realised how much she
enjoyed looking out into the black auditorium with the spotlights
on her. By the time she was a teenager, she
was supporting her whole family with her singing. A London
Palladium pantomime led to a leading role in The Boyfriend
(24:13):
on Broadway at 19 parts in My Fair Lady, opposite
Rex Harrison and Camelot with Richard Burton soon followed, and
there are wonderful anecdotes about the actors and actresses of
her day. But this is far more than a collection
of show stories. Home is an honest, touching and revealing
memoir of the early life of a true icon. Let's
(24:33):
hear a sample of Home by Julie Andrews, narrated by
Julie Andrews.
S6 (24:39):
I am told that the first comprehensible word I uttered
as a child was home. My father was driving his
second hand. Austin seven. My mother was in the passenger
seat beside him, holding me on her lap as we
approached our modest house. Dad braked the car to turn
on to the pocket handkerchief square of concrete by the gate,
(25:01):
and apparently I quietly, tentatively said the word home. My
mother told me there was a slight upward inflection in
my voice. Not a question so much as a trying
of the word on the tongue with perhaps the delicious
discovery of connection, the word to the place. My parents
(25:22):
wanted to be sure they had heard me correctly. So
dad drove around the lanes once again, and as we returned,
it seems I repeated the word. My mother must have
said it more than once upon arrival at our house,
perhaps with satisfaction or relief, or maybe to instill in
her young daughter a sense of comfort and safety. The
(25:44):
word has carried enormous resonance for me ever since. Home.
S5 (25:50):
So that was home by Julie Andrews. If you would
like to borrow that book, or if you would like
to find out more about Vision Australia Library, just give
them a call on 130654656. That's 1300Â 654Â 656. Or you can
email library at Australia. Org that's library at Vision Australia.
S2 (26:14):
And that's all the time we have for today. You've
been listening to Talking Vision. Talking vision is a Vision
Australia radio production. Thanks to all involved with putting the
show together every week. And remember, we love hearing from you.
So please get in touch anytime on our email at
Talking Vision at Vision Australia. That's talking vision all. One
(26:39):
word at Vision Australia. But until next week it's Sam
Culley saying bye for now.
S1 (26:49):
You can contact Vision Australia by phoning us anytime during
business hours on one 384 746. That's one 384 74
six or by visiting Vision Australia. That's Vision Australia.
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